A's beat Rangers; will face Texas Wednesday for AL West title

OAKLAND — Travis Blackley appeared to be the weak link in the A's pitching plans. Instead, he helped his team to within one victory of a division title.

The lefty from Australia held the Texas Rangers to three hits over six innings Tuesday as the A's won 3-1, setting up a final-day showdown for the American League West crown.

The A's were nine games out of first place as late as July 17. They enter Wednesday afternoon's regular season finale deadlocked with Texas at 93-68.

Winning the division holds more value than in years past because of the addition of a second wild card in each league.

The division champ advances straight to the A.L. Divisional Series, beginning a best-of-five series either Saturday or Sunday. The loser plays a do-or-die wild card game Friday against either the Baltimore Orioles or the New York Yankees, whichever team does not win the AL East.

The two-time defending AL champion Rangers have lost eight of their past 12 and must be feeling the pressure after dropping back-to-back games before rabid crowds at the Coliseum.

They require just one victory in this three-game series to win the division and Tuesday certainly seemed their best bet to ring up a 'W.'

Blackley (6-4) hadn't lasted more than two innings in either of his previous two starts, and he got tagged for five runs in just one inning Thursday against the Rangers in Arlington.

A's manager Bob Melvin said in recent days that Texas' predominantly right-handed hitting lineup was not a good matchup for Blackley, a 29-year-old journeyman with just six career victories to his credit entering Tuesday.

He delivered big-time.

The only run he allowed came in the third, when Josh Hamilton drilled an RBI double to the gap in right-center to put the Rangers ahead. But the A's took the lead on Derek Norris' run-scoring single to right in the fifth. When Nelson Cruz fumbled the ball away for an error, Brandon Moss raced him to add a second run and give the A's a 2-1 lead.

The A's turned to the same bullpen combo that worked Monday, Sean Doolittle-to Ryan Cook-to-Grant Balfour, for the final three innings and it worked to perfection.

· Yoenis Cespedes was named the AL's Rookie of the Month for September after hitting .257 with seven homers, five doubles, 19 RBIs, 18 runs and four stolen bases in 28 games.

"I don't look at him as a rookie," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "This guy is an experienced guy, and he plays like a veteran."

Fellow outfielder Jonny Gomes was named the recipient of the Catfish Hunter award as the player who best exemplified the spirit of the former A's pitcher. The award is voted on by Oakland players, coaches and staff.

· It's still unknown if Brett Anderson (strained right oblique) might be available to start Friday's wild card game if the A's wind up playing in it. After throwing 50 pitches Monday, Anderson played catch Tuesday and said he felt tenderness in his oblique area but didn't know what that meant for his availability.

Tommy Milone is currently on turn to pitch Friday.

· A's traveling secretary Mickey Morabito has been arranging flights, buses and hotel rooms in four different cities for potential opponents the A's could face in the wild card game and/or AL Divisional Series.

Morabito is in his 33rd year arranging the A's travel and he said this is the craziest scenario he's dealt with because so much is still unsettled as far as postseason matchups.

"The only thing that fell into place is we know what five teams are going to be in," Morabito said.

The most unusual scenario would be if the Orioles won and the Yankees and A's both lost Wednesday. Baltimore and New York would have to play a tiebreaker game Thursday to determine the AL East champ, and the loser would host the A's in Friday's wild card game.

In that scenario, Morabito said the A's cross-country flight Thursday likely would be delayed until they knew which city they were playing in.

· Reliever Pat Neshek went to Florida to be with his wife, Stephanee, who was due to give birth to their first child. Melvin did not give a date for Neshek to return to the A's.

· The A's are near a sellout for the potential home wild card game Friday, and they expect sellouts for any home AL Divisional Series games based on advance sales. Individual tickets for AL Championship Series games went on sale Tuesday and sales were strong for the first day, according to Jim Leahey, the A's vice president of sales and marketing.

· Not likely to happen but still entertaining: Actor Jonah Hill, one of the stars of "Moneyball," tweeted Tuesday — "If the Oakland A's go all the way this (year), Pitt and I better get rings."

Brad Pitt, of course, played A's general manager Billy Beane in "Moneyball."